The Burning
by Istalindar
Summary: One shot. Legolas has to deal with the consequences of one of his worst mistakes.


She watched me as I entered the cold cell, her dark blue eyes meeting mine as she looked up at me, towering over her as she sat on the filthy floor. She nodded and rose to her feet, her green gown damp and filthy from the floor.  
  
"I am ready." She said softly, and I bowed my head. How had it come to this? This beautiful woman, ready to die for a crime she had not committed.  
  
I touched her shoulder, and her gaze met and held mine, her blue eyes searing me with their understanding and forgiveness. I turned my head away, unable to continue our staring competition. I didn't want her forgiveness. I wanted her to hate me, so that I could be angry with her and so would not notice my heart breaking.  
  
"Legolas." I closed my eyes at her soft voice, with its musical overtone. She had been, no. She was the most amazing singer I had ever heard, that would end. "Legolas, let us end this. No more waiting." Her tone made me turn back to look at her; it was like nothing I had ever heard from her. And staring into her eyes, I saw she was frightened.  
  
"Melamin." I murmured.  
  
"Amin mela le." She replied softly. She took my hand and kissed my palm, then let my hand drop. "Let's go."  
  
She walked out the cell and I had to hurry to follow her. I led her to the pyre in the centre of the plaza, and she shuddered and stopped. I took her arm and led her on as gently as possible. Then the guards took her from me.  
  
She was mute as they led her up the steps, then tied her to the stake. But her eyes on me spoke volumes. I remembered all the time we had spent together, hundreds of years. She had been the first person I had fallen in love with for millennia, and she was condemned to death for witchcraft.  
  
The guards stepped back from the pyre, and lit torches. My hands clenched at my sides, but I refused to let myself move, to save her. It had been my command that had done this. I cannot believe or think what made me do such a thing, but it was done, and could not be undone.  
  
They set the torches to the wood piled around the red-haired elf woman. Smoke rose, and the silent spectators coughed. Soon the flames caught and the updrafts of heated wind from the fire blew her curls around her face in a golden-red halo. I saw the flames lick at her feet, but her face was impassive, as though she had left her body behind, and was no longer in the beautiful husk of the woman she had been. The flames caught her silk skirt with a whoosh, and she seemed to jump, as though she only just realised she was on fire. I could see her crying, sobs tearing at her chest even as the flames licked her skin.  
  
"Legolas!" She screamed, and I was undone. Leaping down from the dais where I had been watching, I pushed through the spectators, and heedless of the roaring fire, leapt up to the pyre and released her, carrying her over my shoulder and away, running away with my kidnapped victim, far from the plaza.  
  
I laid her on the soft loam under the trees, and she blinked up at me from a blistered and peeling face. "Why?" She whispered. "Why did you save me?"  
  
"I was a fool." I muttered, tears running down my face as my fingers touched her ruined and ravaged face as gently as I could. She blinked at me, and I noticed her eyelashes were gone - singed away.  
  
"Love you." She whispered, then she sighed, and the light in her emerald eyes died. I gently closed her eyes, then sank back on my heels, dumb. I had just let the woman I loved most slip away from me. And what's more, I had killed her. I closed my eyes, the blessed darkness behind my eyelids not sparing me from the sight of her. For now I saw her, laughing and shrieking as I chased her around the field, smiling up at me. Then I opened my eyes, and she lay dead before me.  
  
I struggled to my feet, and looked around. There was nothing to the north but empty land. No civilisation, no nothing. I started walking, the sun setting to my left through the trees. North I would go. 


End file.
